Voices on the Border
http://www.votb.org/
Designing an Anaerobic Digester as an Energy Source for a Computer Building in Nueva Esperanza, El Salvador
by
Computer Building in Nueva Esperanza
Executive Summary: The Penn State student organization Engineers Without Frontiers (EWF) has partnered with the non-governmental organization Voices on the Border (VOTB) in order to improve living conditions for the people of Nueva Esperanza, El Salvador. These organizations have proposed the task of designing an appropriate, alternative energy source that provides power to the computer building cooling system designed by Los Ingenieros during the fall ’03 semester. It is our main goal to accomplish this task so that the quality of the Nueva Esperanza villagers’ lives is improved. EWF, VOTB, and the people of Nueva Esperanza have proposed the task of designing this alternative energy source for the cooling system. The 3rd Coast, proposes to professionally and successfully complete this task. All being mechanical engineers-in-training, the group is determined to help improve the quality of life for the less-fortunate people of Nueva Esperanza. After much thought and consultation with Dr. Colledge, the group will pursue the anaerobic digester. The main purpose of all the digesters is to produce combustible biogas that can be burned to provide useful energy whether in the form of electricity or heat. There are many advantages to the digester. The main advantage is to help control animal waste odor and disposal. This is a major problem in El Salvador, so the group is killing two birds with one stone.
Date: April 20th, 2004
Faculty Coach: Professor Savas Yavuskurt - Mechanical Engineering
Department
Sponsor: Dr. Thomas Colledge, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA